Rolling mill housing



Aug. 36, 1932. J R CQE 1,875,220

ROLLING MILL HOUS ING Filed May 7, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ROLLING MILLHOUSING Filed May 27, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 2 I I if E; 25 II II I III I II I I I Z I I I I I 'I III "I IIIIII 5 I I- I II III 3 54 I; III I IIIII I I I I A id H II [I II I Aug. 30, 1932. J, R COE ROLLING MILLHOUSING s sheets-sheet 3 Filed May 27, 1931 Patented Aug. 30, 1932UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. COE, OF WATERB'O'RY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANBRASS COMPANY, OF WATER/BURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUTROLLING MILL HOUSING Application filed May 2'7,

This invention relates to rolling mills, such for example as are usedfor rolling sheet metal. These rolling mills ordinarily have uprightspaced housings between which the 5 rolls are mounted, the bearings forthe rolls being ordinarily mounted in the housings, and each'housingcarries means, such as a. heavy screw, in its top member adapted toadjust the position of the upper rolls and.

' given thickness this stretching will permit the rolls to separate andthe metal will not be rolled to the proper gauge.

To overcome this objection it has been common practice to tighten up theadjusting screws on the rolls so as to place an initial pressure on therolls and the housing comparable-to the pressures encountered during therolling operation to expand or stretch the housings before the metal isfed into the rolls to and thus reduce or eliminate the separation of therolls during the rolling operation. This operation has numerousobjections such for example as that the'rolls are under high pressureat' all times, and when running idle as the contacting surfaces betweenthe rolls is a line contact these pressures tend to crush or destroy thesurface of the rolls. Also due to these high pressures there is a highpressure in @he bearings for the necks of the rolls invention to providean improved construcwhich absorbs a large amount of power so that itrequires nearly as much power to operate,

Serial No. 540,302.

tion of rolling mill in which the above noted objections are obviated,and in which there is' practically no pressure on the rolls when runningidle, thus saving a large amount of power and protecting the surface ofthe rolls against injury.

It is also an object of the invention to provide improved means for usein fourhigh and similar mills for adjustingthe positions of the workrolls.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a construction whichwill facilitate sticking or starting of the end of the metal in therolls at the beginning of the rolling operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists incertain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully disclosed in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a rolling mill,

particularly a side elevation of one of the housings showing my improvedconstruction;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section oir an enlargedscale through this millwith a section V through one housing being taken on a plane between theworking rolls and the backing rolls and through the other housing on theplane substantially on the axis of the upper work roll; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the central portion of the housing on anenlarged scale with parts broken away to more clearly show theconstruction. I

The mill as illustrated comprises the two upright housings 10 having theusual laterally extending ears llresting on the usual rail supports notshown, and on which they are laterally adjustable in the usual manner.These housings comprise the upright side members 12 and the top andbottom connecting portions 13 and 14. These housings are usually ofheavy steel castings to withstand the high strains incident to theforces required for the rolling operation. In the present instance Ihaveillustrated a so called fourhigh rolling mill comprising two work100 'rolls15 and 16 of relatively small diameter lower bacln'n roll aremounted in bearing blocks 20 restlng on the lower portion 14 of thehousings andthey are held therein by the guide plates 21. The necks 22ofthe backing roll 17 are held in suitable bearing blocks 23 guided forvertical movements in the hpusings and held therein by the guide plates2 The necks 25 of the work rolls 15 and 16 are held in bearing blocks 26carried in yokes 27 and 28, the upper yoke 27 as shown in Fig. 3 beingsubstantially U-shaped and the yoke 28 being substantially the sameshape but inverted'. The sides 29 of these yokes are mounted forvertical movement in guideways y 30 in su porting blocks 31, the yokesbeing held infill ese guideways by the plates 32 secured. by screws 33.The blocks 31 have upright pockets 34 in which are mounted springs 35hearing at their opposite ends against plungers 36. These plungers havereduced end portions 37 engaging lateral flanges 38 on the free edges 0the side members 29 of the yokes 27 and 28. It will therefore be"evident that these springs 35 tend to separate the yokes 27 and 28 orshift themvertically in opposite directions, and thus side of the axesof the backing rolls, and on.

hold the work rolls 15 and 16 in engagement with their respectivebacking rolls 17 and 18. In this tgpe of mill it is necessary that thework rolls 6 properly lined up with respect to the backing rolls,and-for the best operation it is also desirable thatthe axes of the workrolls be located a short distance to one the side on. which the metal isfed out of the mill. Thus as shown in Fig.3 if the metal is fed into themill from the right, it is de- 15 and 16 indicated by'the line 39 beplaced sirable that the center line of the'work rolls somewhat to theother side of the. centers of the backing rolls 17? and18 which are onthe line 40. Therefore means is provided'so that "and the backing rolls.

these work rolls may beshifted laterally so their axes-may be shiftedfrom'one side to the other of the center line 40 of the backing rolls asdesired when \the rolls a're' used as reversing rolls, and also topermituse of the.

rolls for passing the metal in either direction. This construction isalso used for keep-,-

ing the work rolls parallel with each other In the present instance thesupporting blocks 31 are mounted in suitable guide blocks or brackets 41and 41a secured to the sides of the housings. In the present instancethese blocks or brackets 41 have front plates or arm portions 42 securedto the face of the housings as by screws 43, and they have uprightguides 44 to receive the side guides 45 on the blocks 31 to thus permitthese blocks- 31 to shift laterally toward and from the sides of thehousings in a horizontal plane,

- and therefore shift the centers of the work rolls. Suitable means isprovided for shifting these blocks 31 and retaining them in adjustedposition. Thus each of the blocks 31 is provided with an inclined sidewall 46 and between this wall and the brackets 41 is a tapered cam orwedge block 47 having a side 48 inclined to correspond with the Wall 46and engage the same. It is preferred that these cam or wedge bl0ckst47be of less width than the height of the blocks 31'and brackets 41 asindicated in Fig. 3, and that the inclined surfaces 46 on the block-31and the opposed straight surface 49 in the bracket 41 to engage theopposite side of the wedge block Thus it will be evident that the wedgeblocks 47 will retain the blocks 31 and support them in the brackets 41.To each wedge block 47 I is connected an adjusting screw '50 passingthrough the bearing 51 on the bracket 41 and. carrying an adjusting nut52 and a lock nut 53.. These screws are connected'to their're spectivewedge blocks by any suitable means I such as having the inner end ofthese screws extending intoa recess in one side of the block and securedthereto by a pin 54. Thus it will be evidentthat by adjusting the nuts52 the cam blocks may be shifted to'lateralli shi'ft'the supportingblocks 31 and the wor rolls carried thereby. After adjustment they ma besecured in adjusted position by the loc nuts53.

of power. Thus they may driven by couplings connected to a wabbler end55 in the usual manner. .At the opposite :end the bracket 41a carries asuitable thrust bearing 56 to retain the roll in proper position.

The pressure of the rolls may be adjusted by heavy. adjusting screws 57threaded into The work rolls are driven by any suitable \means notshown, from an suitable source ioc heavy sleeves or nuts 58 mounted inthe upper portions 1310f the housings and held."

against turning therein. At their lower ends these screws may seat in]washers or plugs 59 mounted on the tops of'the bearings 23.

Screws "57 may be operated by any suitable means not shown, foradjusting the pressure J on the rolls such for example as a lon handlewrene or an, electric motorgeare to the-screw.

As intimated above, duringrolling operations there may be 'very heavypressures mvolved these pressures may stretchor expand the s1des '12 ofthe'housings, and there- 47 are on the bottoms of transverse recesses. 9

ama 2o fore the rolls may be separated too much to obtain the desiredgauge,and it will be evident that if the screws 57 are run downwardlysufliciently to give this pressure to stress the side members 12 beforethe roll'ng operation there will be great pressure between the surfacesof the rolls tending to crush or mar them, and also when the rolls arerunning idle this pressure will cause great loss of power in thebearings on the necks of the rolls. I have overcome these objections byconnecting the upper and lower portions of the housing with tie elementswhich are placed under initial tension greater than the pressures to besustained during the rolling operation.

This may be done in various ways, but the simplest and most convenientis to provide the housing with upright longitudinal openings 60 throughtheir side members 12, and mounting in these openings heavy bolts 61which are held by nuts 62 and 63 at their upper and lower ends. It willbe evident that if'these bolts are expanded by heating to a giventemperature to secure the necessary expansion which can be readilycalculated, and the nuts 62 and 63 set while the bolts are so heated andexpanded, when the bolts cool they will contract and place the housingunder a compression strain depending upon the amount of expansion of thebolts before they were set up in the housing. It will thus be evidentthat these bolts can be heated and .expanded and the nuts 62 and 63 soset while and very little power is lost, and the surfaces of the rollsare not liable to injury therefrom, and when the metal is passed betweenthe rolls there is no stretching of the housing to permit the rolls toseparate, therefore i .the rolls can be properly set without placing alarge strain on the rolls or the adjusting screws 57 and this settingwill be accurately maintained during the rolling operation. This alsogreatly facilitates sticking or starting of the metal through the rollsat the beginning of the rolling operation.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a rolling mill, upright housings, a pair of relatively smalldiameter work rolls extending between the housings, backing rolls forthe work rolls, guide blocks secured to the sides of the housing,supporting blocks carried by the guide blocks and movable laterallythereon, a wedge shaped block between each supporting block and itsguide block, means to shift the wedge shaped blocks to shift thesupporting blocks, yokes guided for vertical movement in thesupporting-blocks, bearings for the work rolls in the yokes, and springstending to separate the yokes to hold the work rolls against the backingrolls.

2. In a rolling mill, upright housings, a pair of relatively smalldiameter work rolls extending between the housings, backing rolls forthe work rolls, vertically movable supports for the work rolls, blockscarrying said .supports and mounted for lateral movements transverselythe axes of the rolls, guide blocks mounted in the housing outwardly ofthe supporting blocks, the adjacent guide blocks and supporting blockshaving aligned transverse recesses extending in the direction ofthe axesof the rolls, wedge shaped blocks. mounted in said recesses to retainthe supporting blocks against vertical movement, and means for shiftingthe wedge blocks to shift the work rolls laterally.

3. In a rolling mill, upright housings, a pair of relatively smalldiameter work rolls extending between the housings, backing rolls forthe work rolls, guide blocks mounted in the housings at opposite sidesof the work rolls, supporting blocks mounted for lateral movement in theguide blocks, wedge blocks between each guide block and the adjacentsupporting block, means for shifting the wedge block to shift thesupporting blocks, each supporting block having one or more uprightsockets, springs in said sockets, vertically movable plungers at theopposite ends of the springs and pressed outwardly thereby, a verticallymovable yoke resting on the ends of the upper plungers, bearings for theupper work roll in said yoke, a second yoke having shoulders on whichthe ends of the lower plungers rest, anddhearing's for the lower workroll in the secon yoke.

4. In a rolling mill, an upright housing, a pair of relatively smalldiameter work .rolls extending from the housing, backing rolls for thework rolls having bearings in the housing, bearings for the work rolls,supports for the work roll bearings having laterally extendingvertically spaced shoulders, supporting blocks mounted in the housingoutwardly v of said supports and having upright sockets, uprightplungers projecting from the opposite ends of the sockets, the shoulderson the upper support resting on the upper plungers and the lowerplungers resting on the shoulders of the lower supports, and springsbetween the plungers in a socket tending to shift them in oppositedirections. I

carried by each guide block and mounted for 'j aeent-supportiiig blockhaving aligned transand holding the supporting block against lateralmovement, each guide block and ad- NGI'SG recesses, 21 wedge block insaid recesses vertical movement, means for shifting the wedge block toshift the supporting block laterally, upper and lower vertically movableplungers carried by the supportingblock, and spring means tending toshift the-plungers in 0 posite directions, the support for thebearmgswfor the upper work roll being sup- I ported b "the upper plungerand the lower plunger eing' supported'on the support for the bearingsfor the lower work roll. In testimony whereof I 'affix' my signature.

I JAMES COE.

